[cTx]SGT.Viper
08-05-2008, 08:20 AM
Corsair TX650W
Power Supply
Corsair has been a leader in the computer memory market for over a decade now. Manufacturing both memory for the computer enthusiast and the daily web surfer. Corsair has extended its line to computer water cooling, flash memory, and performance power supplies. Corsair offers a wide range of power supplies designed to meet every computer users needs. Today we will be reviewing one of their mid to upper mid models. The TX650W power supply.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic1final.jpg
We will see if this power supply is worthy of Corsair's very reputable name.
Specifications
Corsair TX Series Features:
Supports ATX12V v2.2 standard and older ATX12V 2.01 spec
Ultra-quiet 120mm (140mm on TX750W) double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow
80%+ energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% load condition for less heat generation and lower energy bill
99% Active Power Factor Correction provides clean and reliable power to your system
Universal AC input 90~264V automatically scans and detects the correct voltage
Dedicated single +12V rail offers maximum compatibility with latest components
Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum safety to your critical system components.
High quality Japanese capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability.
Extra long cables support full tower size chassis.
TX750W Dimension: 5.9"(W) x 3.4"(H) X 6.3"(L);
TX650W Dimension: 5.9"(W) x 3.4"(H) X 5.9"(L);
MTBF: 100,000 Hours
NVIDIA SLI-ready certified.
Corsair TX650W Specifications: Model CMPSU-650TX
AC INPUT 90-264V ~ 9A 50/60Hz
DC OUTPUT +3.3V +5V +12V -12V +5Vsb
MAX LOAD 24A 30A 52A 0.8A 3A
MAX COMBINED WATTAGE 170W 624W 9.6W 15W
TOTAL POWER: 650W
The power supply does carry all the required approvals including UL, CE, CB, TUV, FCC, CCC. It also has what is called Active Power Factor Correction or APFC for short. APFC makes sure the input power is delivered to your system both clean and usable. Allowing more stability and longer lasting components.
Noise Level Chart:
The power supply has a 120mm fan that is temperature controlled which should keep the unit quiet during idle usage.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic2final.jpg
Efficiency:
I'd also like to add that this Power Supply has been rated to operate at above 80% efficiency. Even at 100% total power draw. Years ago that was rarely accomplished!
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic3.jpg
How the power supply comes packaged
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic4final.jpg
The box is nicely labeled with the models highlights. In the top right you can see Corsair's 5 year warranty label. Some power supplies have your typical 3 year warranty. Some a limited lifetime warranty. The 5 year is actually a good term for most computer users. The target user base for this model will most likely upgrade their power supply over the coarse of 2 years. So I think it was a good decision on Corsair's part for this warranty. The label that displays the model name actually matches the image design on the power supply. All in all the box makes the statement that this is not your typical plain Jane power supply without trying to be too over the top.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic5.jpg
When opening the box you can see that the power supply is packaged nicely in a foam padding. The manual is right at the top, which is good allowing you to get familiar with how the power supply should be installed. Corsair included just the right amount of cable ties to keep the wires tidy allowing a better appearance and better airflow. Corsair also included a nice case badge. The units power cable is also nicely folded and well placed in the box.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic6final.jpg
This is the best packaged power supply I have seen. Corsair has the power supply stuffed inside a nice cloth bag and it's inside that foam padded box. This will ensure that the power supply will arrive unscratched and ready for duty!
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic7final.jpg
This is what is included inside the box. Again there is the manual, cable ties, four black screws for mounting the power supply into the chassis, the power cord, and the Corsair case badge.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic8final.jpg
Corsair included a nice cloth bag, though I'm not sure what you would use it for. I would imagine that you could use it to take hardware supplies with you to your next LAN party. It is still a nice freebie.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic9final.jpg
The power supply does indeed have 2x6+2 pin PCI-e power connectors for powering two video cards allowing you to utilize Nvidia's SLI. The connectors on the far right are the motherboards EPS/ATX12V 8-4 pin. They are split allowing you to use either the 4 pin connection or combined for an 8 pin connection. However, those connectors do not snap together, which might confuse users who need only the 4 pin connection.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic10final.jpg
I'd like to bring up the rear of the power supply. It has your typical on/off switch, which is nice. I always switch the power to off while the power supply is being installed and components are being connected. Some power supplies do not include this fine luxury. The power cable inlet is on the far left of the unit. This is a personal preference as it allows me to mount a radiator along the back side of the case. If the cable inlet was mounted in the center, I would not be able to plug the power cable in. So for some of you water coolers out there, this is something you should consider if your mounting your radiator on the back. Finally, you can see the nice honeycomb mesh that allows more air to escape the rear of the power supply. I'd also like to add, this unit does include a nice quiet 120mm fan that helps move the hot air out through the rear of the power supply.
Testing
Test System
Power Supply:Corsair TX650W
Processor: intel e6600 at 3.6 (1.44Vcore)
Motherboard: Foxconn P35A-S
Water Pump: DangerDen D5
Memory: Corsair XMS2--2gig@800 4.4.4.12 2t
Video Card: MSI 8800GTS[640]
Hard Drive: Western Digital WD2500KS-250 seta2
Fan Controller:Cooler Master Aerogate3
4x 120mm Case fans
2x Optical drives
3x 12 UV Cold Cathodes
For testing I decided to apply applications that a typical power user would use. The game Crysis has proven to be a fine benchmarking tool for comparing video cards, as it will bring the most powerful systems to its knees. The game is hard to render and will take every last frame your video card is capable of. So in using Crysis in this test I think we will be drawing the most power possible from the power supply. I also wanted to include 3Dmark06, which is another popular tool for comparing performance between systems with similar hardware. 3Dmark06 is like Crysis, in which it will draw every last ounce of power a system will have. Stress Prime 2004 is a tool that overclockers use to check system stability. It can put a full load on a processor and system memory requiring more voltage. Most gamers are overclockers. They like to drain every last drop of power a sytem can have. Higher overclocks means higher frames per second. The more frames per second, the better. I am also including the results from the power supply with the system in an idle state.
In this test I used a digital multimeter. There are software applications designed to display the voltages a power supply is supplying in real time. Those applications are not real accurate, so I will be using the multimeter for true readings.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic11final.jpg
I'd like to bring up the fact that this power supply is not modular, meaning that all the cables are connected permanently. A modular unit will allow you to connect only the cables that will be in use.
12volt Test Results
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/graph1.png
5volt Test Results
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/graph2.png
3.3volt Test Results
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/graph3.png
Test Results and Final Conclusion
Based on the results acquired today we see that this power supply delivers usable clean power to a mid, to high mid system. The 5 volt rail only dropped below 5 volts to 4.99 volts in 3Dmark06. That is still a very safe voltage drop and is not out of tolerance. The 3.3 volt rail is a little on the high side but again this is still well within tolerance for a computer power supply. The 12 volt rail seemed very consistent and did not budge a bit. That is understandable as this power supply packs a pretty impressive 52 amps on a single rail.
The thermally controlled 120 mm fan did a fine job at keeping the power supply both cool and quiet even while at peak load. I could not hear it over the fan of the 8800GTS.
This power supply supplies the 12 volts across only 1 rail, and for good reason. I myself have used multi rail units that can be difficult to connect components to. You have to find a happy medium with where and how you connect things. With the ability to use only 1 rail, you can connect anything you want and in any order.
This power supply definitely delivers to the class I think Corsair intended it's use for. The mid, high mid users. It has 2x6+2 PCI-e connections, so it can run Nvidia's latest high end 9800GX2 graphics card requiring an 8 pin and 6 pin connection. Just don't expect it to run a pair of them in SLI. It will power ATI's latest offering of it's flagship card, the Radeon 3800X2 which offers two video processors on one card. It has enough guts to run even a quad core processor. This power supply is hungry, I just didn't have the components to fill it's appetite. The Corsair TX650W is a great value, chiming in currently at around $110 at various online vendors. I think this is a great bang per buck product and that is something Corsair has been able to offer to the masses for some time now. The first impressions and build quality is something we've all come to expect from Corsair and the TX650W is no exception. I highly recommend this power supply as a gamer. Nobody wants to lose one single frag. If you do lose that precious frag, you can take the TX650W out of the equation.
Design- 9/10 The Power supply is well designed with it's thermally controlled 120mm fan, single 12volt rail, and the cables are nicely sleeved. The only con I can give here, is that the power supply is not modular.
Cooling-9/10 The TX650W's 120mm fan does an adequate job of keeping the unit just a little warm to the touch. It is one of the more quiet power supplies that I have used. I think Corsair should have included a 140mm fan as they have with the units big brother, the TX750W.
Performance-10/10 The TX650W delivered exactly what Corsair intended for their target range of users . A high class power supply for the mid to high mid range of systems. The power supply delivered strong, solid rails and never whimpered one time.
Ease of Use-8/10 The TX650W is not a modular power supply. It has a respectable amount of connections measuring in at around 24 in length. This does make wire management a challenge. Experienced system builders should not have much trouble hiding the wires, as where the novice user will struggle.
This is an example of the possibilities for the TX650W cable management.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic12final.jpg
Overall Rating-9 frags out of 10.
Which earns Clan Team Xtreme Approved!
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/tiersignature.jpg (www.clanteamxtreme.com) http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5118/corsairlogo2al7.png (http://www.corsair.com/products/tx.aspx)
Here is another members view on the power supply
Here is a picture of his case
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Corsair%20power%20supply/b10dubcaseshotwatermarked.jpg
Design- 9/10 Solid case construction, nice black finish, crisp honeycomb pattern rear grille, round wire internal grill. 52 amp single 12 volt rail. Mesh sleeved cables of ample length. Ample cable ties provided.
Cooling-9/10 120mm thermally controlled fan. It is a very quiet fan. The only down side is in a small case like I currently have, my rear exhaust fan over powers it.
Performance-10/10 Solid PSU, great voltage stability, system stability has improved over the older unit. Solid for 1 or 2 small GPU card users.
Ease of Use-9/10 non- modular power supply making cable management a little time consuming but includes an excessive amount of cable ties. Good amount of connections specs at 24 total length. As you can notice in my photos it is not a complicated procedure even in a tiny case to make it look decent. Nice placement of rear ATX main switch is also a bonus.
[CENTER]
Final Rating 9.25/10 frags
Which earns CTX approval
Power Supply
Corsair has been a leader in the computer memory market for over a decade now. Manufacturing both memory for the computer enthusiast and the daily web surfer. Corsair has extended its line to computer water cooling, flash memory, and performance power supplies. Corsair offers a wide range of power supplies designed to meet every computer users needs. Today we will be reviewing one of their mid to upper mid models. The TX650W power supply.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic1final.jpg
We will see if this power supply is worthy of Corsair's very reputable name.
Specifications
Corsair TX Series Features:
Supports ATX12V v2.2 standard and older ATX12V 2.01 spec
Ultra-quiet 120mm (140mm on TX750W) double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow
80%+ energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% load condition for less heat generation and lower energy bill
99% Active Power Factor Correction provides clean and reliable power to your system
Universal AC input 90~264V automatically scans and detects the correct voltage
Dedicated single +12V rail offers maximum compatibility with latest components
Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum safety to your critical system components.
High quality Japanese capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability.
Extra long cables support full tower size chassis.
TX750W Dimension: 5.9"(W) x 3.4"(H) X 6.3"(L);
TX650W Dimension: 5.9"(W) x 3.4"(H) X 5.9"(L);
MTBF: 100,000 Hours
NVIDIA SLI-ready certified.
Corsair TX650W Specifications: Model CMPSU-650TX
AC INPUT 90-264V ~ 9A 50/60Hz
DC OUTPUT +3.3V +5V +12V -12V +5Vsb
MAX LOAD 24A 30A 52A 0.8A 3A
MAX COMBINED WATTAGE 170W 624W 9.6W 15W
TOTAL POWER: 650W
The power supply does carry all the required approvals including UL, CE, CB, TUV, FCC, CCC. It also has what is called Active Power Factor Correction or APFC for short. APFC makes sure the input power is delivered to your system both clean and usable. Allowing more stability and longer lasting components.
Noise Level Chart:
The power supply has a 120mm fan that is temperature controlled which should keep the unit quiet during idle usage.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic2final.jpg
Efficiency:
I'd also like to add that this Power Supply has been rated to operate at above 80% efficiency. Even at 100% total power draw. Years ago that was rarely accomplished!
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic3.jpg
How the power supply comes packaged
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic4final.jpg
The box is nicely labeled with the models highlights. In the top right you can see Corsair's 5 year warranty label. Some power supplies have your typical 3 year warranty. Some a limited lifetime warranty. The 5 year is actually a good term for most computer users. The target user base for this model will most likely upgrade their power supply over the coarse of 2 years. So I think it was a good decision on Corsair's part for this warranty. The label that displays the model name actually matches the image design on the power supply. All in all the box makes the statement that this is not your typical plain Jane power supply without trying to be too over the top.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic5.jpg
When opening the box you can see that the power supply is packaged nicely in a foam padding. The manual is right at the top, which is good allowing you to get familiar with how the power supply should be installed. Corsair included just the right amount of cable ties to keep the wires tidy allowing a better appearance and better airflow. Corsair also included a nice case badge. The units power cable is also nicely folded and well placed in the box.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic6final.jpg
This is the best packaged power supply I have seen. Corsair has the power supply stuffed inside a nice cloth bag and it's inside that foam padded box. This will ensure that the power supply will arrive unscratched and ready for duty!
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic7final.jpg
This is what is included inside the box. Again there is the manual, cable ties, four black screws for mounting the power supply into the chassis, the power cord, and the Corsair case badge.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic8final.jpg
Corsair included a nice cloth bag, though I'm not sure what you would use it for. I would imagine that you could use it to take hardware supplies with you to your next LAN party. It is still a nice freebie.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic9final.jpg
The power supply does indeed have 2x6+2 pin PCI-e power connectors for powering two video cards allowing you to utilize Nvidia's SLI. The connectors on the far right are the motherboards EPS/ATX12V 8-4 pin. They are split allowing you to use either the 4 pin connection or combined for an 8 pin connection. However, those connectors do not snap together, which might confuse users who need only the 4 pin connection.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic10final.jpg
I'd like to bring up the rear of the power supply. It has your typical on/off switch, which is nice. I always switch the power to off while the power supply is being installed and components are being connected. Some power supplies do not include this fine luxury. The power cable inlet is on the far left of the unit. This is a personal preference as it allows me to mount a radiator along the back side of the case. If the cable inlet was mounted in the center, I would not be able to plug the power cable in. So for some of you water coolers out there, this is something you should consider if your mounting your radiator on the back. Finally, you can see the nice honeycomb mesh that allows more air to escape the rear of the power supply. I'd also like to add, this unit does include a nice quiet 120mm fan that helps move the hot air out through the rear of the power supply.
Testing
Test System
Power Supply:Corsair TX650W
Processor: intel e6600 at 3.6 (1.44Vcore)
Motherboard: Foxconn P35A-S
Water Pump: DangerDen D5
Memory: Corsair XMS2--2gig@800 4.4.4.12 2t
Video Card: MSI 8800GTS[640]
Hard Drive: Western Digital WD2500KS-250 seta2
Fan Controller:Cooler Master Aerogate3
4x 120mm Case fans
2x Optical drives
3x 12 UV Cold Cathodes
For testing I decided to apply applications that a typical power user would use. The game Crysis has proven to be a fine benchmarking tool for comparing video cards, as it will bring the most powerful systems to its knees. The game is hard to render and will take every last frame your video card is capable of. So in using Crysis in this test I think we will be drawing the most power possible from the power supply. I also wanted to include 3Dmark06, which is another popular tool for comparing performance between systems with similar hardware. 3Dmark06 is like Crysis, in which it will draw every last ounce of power a system will have. Stress Prime 2004 is a tool that overclockers use to check system stability. It can put a full load on a processor and system memory requiring more voltage. Most gamers are overclockers. They like to drain every last drop of power a sytem can have. Higher overclocks means higher frames per second. The more frames per second, the better. I am also including the results from the power supply with the system in an idle state.
In this test I used a digital multimeter. There are software applications designed to display the voltages a power supply is supplying in real time. Those applications are not real accurate, so I will be using the multimeter for true readings.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/pic11final.jpg
I'd like to bring up the fact that this power supply is not modular, meaning that all the cables are connected permanently. A modular unit will allow you to connect only the cables that will be in use.
12volt Test Results
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/graph1.png
5volt Test Results
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/graph2.png
3.3volt Test Results
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/graph3.png
Test Results and Final Conclusion
Based on the results acquired today we see that this power supply delivers usable clean power to a mid, to high mid system. The 5 volt rail only dropped below 5 volts to 4.99 volts in 3Dmark06. That is still a very safe voltage drop and is not out of tolerance. The 3.3 volt rail is a little on the high side but again this is still well within tolerance for a computer power supply. The 12 volt rail seemed very consistent and did not budge a bit. That is understandable as this power supply packs a pretty impressive 52 amps on a single rail.
The thermally controlled 120 mm fan did a fine job at keeping the power supply both cool and quiet even while at peak load. I could not hear it over the fan of the 8800GTS.
This power supply supplies the 12 volts across only 1 rail, and for good reason. I myself have used multi rail units that can be difficult to connect components to. You have to find a happy medium with where and how you connect things. With the ability to use only 1 rail, you can connect anything you want and in any order.
This power supply definitely delivers to the class I think Corsair intended it's use for. The mid, high mid users. It has 2x6+2 PCI-e connections, so it can run Nvidia's latest high end 9800GX2 graphics card requiring an 8 pin and 6 pin connection. Just don't expect it to run a pair of them in SLI. It will power ATI's latest offering of it's flagship card, the Radeon 3800X2 which offers two video processors on one card. It has enough guts to run even a quad core processor. This power supply is hungry, I just didn't have the components to fill it's appetite. The Corsair TX650W is a great value, chiming in currently at around $110 at various online vendors. I think this is a great bang per buck product and that is something Corsair has been able to offer to the masses for some time now. The first impressions and build quality is something we've all come to expect from Corsair and the TX650W is no exception. I highly recommend this power supply as a gamer. Nobody wants to lose one single frag. If you do lose that precious frag, you can take the TX650W out of the equation.
Design- 9/10 The Power supply is well designed with it's thermally controlled 120mm fan, single 12volt rail, and the cables are nicely sleeved. The only con I can give here, is that the power supply is not modular.
Cooling-9/10 The TX650W's 120mm fan does an adequate job of keeping the unit just a little warm to the touch. It is one of the more quiet power supplies that I have used. I think Corsair should have included a 140mm fan as they have with the units big brother, the TX750W.
Performance-10/10 The TX650W delivered exactly what Corsair intended for their target range of users . A high class power supply for the mid to high mid range of systems. The power supply delivered strong, solid rails and never whimpered one time.
Ease of Use-8/10 The TX650W is not a modular power supply. It has a respectable amount of connections measuring in at around 24 in length. This does make wire management a challenge. Experienced system builders should not have much trouble hiding the wires, as where the novice user will struggle.
This is an example of the possibilities for the TX650W cable management.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Pic12final.jpg
Overall Rating-9 frags out of 10.
Which earns Clan Team Xtreme Approved!
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/tiersignature.jpg (www.clanteamxtreme.com) http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5118/corsairlogo2al7.png (http://www.corsair.com/products/tx.aspx)
Here is another members view on the power supply
Here is a picture of his case
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn25/ClanTeamXtreme/Corsair%20power%20supply/b10dubcaseshotwatermarked.jpg
Design- 9/10 Solid case construction, nice black finish, crisp honeycomb pattern rear grille, round wire internal grill. 52 amp single 12 volt rail. Mesh sleeved cables of ample length. Ample cable ties provided.
Cooling-9/10 120mm thermally controlled fan. It is a very quiet fan. The only down side is in a small case like I currently have, my rear exhaust fan over powers it.
Performance-10/10 Solid PSU, great voltage stability, system stability has improved over the older unit. Solid for 1 or 2 small GPU card users.
Ease of Use-9/10 non- modular power supply making cable management a little time consuming but includes an excessive amount of cable ties. Good amount of connections specs at 24 total length. As you can notice in my photos it is not a complicated procedure even in a tiny case to make it look decent. Nice placement of rear ATX main switch is also a bonus.
[CENTER]
Final Rating 9.25/10 frags
Which earns CTX approval